Apparatus for applying paste to battery grids



Dec., 20, M927.

R. J. RIXDORFF APPARATUS FOR APPLYING PASTE To BATTERY GRIDS Filed June 9, 1926 2 sheets-sheet 1 S E S S E N Th W ATTORNEYS ec. 20, 1927u 1,653,587

R. J. RIXDORFF APPARATUS FOR APPLYING PASTE TO BATTERY GRIDS Filed June 9, 1925 2 Shee'iswsheet- 2 s I y INVENTOR b v MM ATTORNEYS Patented Dec. 20, 1927.

RAGNAB. J'. BIXDOBFF, 0F

PARIS, FRANCE, ABBIGNOB T0 PAUL I. MARIO, 0F

BROGKLYN, NEW YORK.

APPARATUS FOR APPLYING PASTE T0 BATTERY GBIDS.

Application led June 9, 1988. Serial No. 114,881

The present invention is concerned with the provision of a machine for automatically applying paste to battery grlds, compacting and smoothing the paste, partially or completely drying the paste, and turning out a completed grid with the paste applied and dried.

It has heretofore been customary to apply the paste by hand operation, using a trowel to first lace the paste on one side of the grid and) then on the other side, and any suitable iinishing tools to smooth down vand wipe olf` the excess paste. The hand method is not only expensive, but frequently results in a very imperfect application ofthe paste, and in some non-uniformity of the grids. In accordance with the resent 1nvention these diiliculties are eliminated and the operation of applying the paste 1s greatly expedited.

One object of the invention 1s to provide an automatic machine for applyi'n the paste and for drying the -grids, wh1c will be of simple, practical construction, rugged,

. durable and eiiicient in use, and capable of being manufactured and' operated with comparative economy.

A further object of the invention 1s to pros vide a novel method of applying the paste and drying the plates, the machine constituting one apparatus for carrying out the method. i

With the above noted and other objects in view, the invention consists in certain novel features of construction and combinations and arrangements of parts, as will be more fully hereinafter set forth and pointed out in the claims. The invention ma be more -fully understood from the fo owing description in connection with the accompanying drawings, whereinl Y Fig. 1 is a broken top plan view of a machine embodying the present invention.

Fig. 2 is a broken side elevational v1ew of the machine.

Fig. 3 is an enlarged transverse sectional detail showing one of the ids passing between a pair of finishing ro 1ers.

Fig. 4 is a view in side elevation of one of the grids to be operated upon.

It is to be noted at the outset that a very simple and elementary .form of the machine has been illustrated, certain details of construction and minor refinements being omitted for the sake of clearness.

broken to separate the grids after the paste applying operation. The particular type of grids illustrated includes generally rectangular frame members 12 connected by transverse cross bars 13 ofsubstantially the same thickness-as the thickness of the frame 12. A series of relatively thin vertical bars extend from the top to the bottom of the frame at each side thereof, being integrally connected to the frame and the cross bars 13. One series of bars 14 is staggered relative to the other series, so that there are formed in effect, V-shaped pockets on each face of the grid, adapted for the reception of the paste.

The construction of the air of skeleton grids above described is w 1 understood in the art, and has merelyv been discussed here, in order that the nature of one type of grid which may be treated, will be clearly understood. O viously however other conventional types of grids might be operated upon by the machine of the presentinvention, and in accordance with the method of the resent invention.

T e machine may be supported upon any suitable frame structure (not shown) and includes a bed plate 15`having in its upper face a relatively shallow central groove 16 extending from end to end thereof. This groove receives the lower edgeof the pair of skeleton grids 10, and guides the grids in vertical position through the series of fprming rolls etc., which are mounted on the ase.

A pair of grids being inserted in the groove at the left ihand end of the machine, are first grasped by a pair of friction feeding .rolls 17 which move the grids along the groove between the discharge nozzles 18 of a pair of paste hop ers 19. Thesel nozzles are equipped with adriustable delive pouts 18* to accommodate grids of erent thicknesses. The hoppers are detachably secured in any ap ropriate manner to the base, and in cach opper there is mounted a spiral feed screw 20 which acts to force the paste through the nozzle 18. The projecting ends of the feed screws 20 mount v I have shown one convenient manner of 26 encircled by tensionin Atension on the springs l tensioning exerting spring tension on the feed rolls, wherein the rolls are provided with trunnions 22 journalled in the ends of swinging levers 23 pivotally mounted on pins 24 secured to the bed. Aligned apertured ears 25 on the levers 23 receive a. cross pin lsprings A27, the ing regulatable by adjusting nuts 28. Springs 27 thus normally tend to swing the free ends of the arms 23 together and force the feed rolls 17 into contact with leach other, or

- into a position where they will frictionally ip the -ds. grAs thegm ids pass between the nozzles of the paste oppers, the pastevextruded from the nozzles is fed uniformly on both faces of the grid, the paste applied being somewhat in` excess of that actually necessary, and extendinvlaterally beyond the vertical bars 14, as est indicated in Fig. 3. In this figure, the paste has been given the reference numeral 30,

The aste most commonly used is of a putty-li e consistency, consistin of a mixture 0f red lead, litharge an a suitable chemical binder, such as dilute sulphuric acid. M

In order tocompact the paste, so that it will ill all of the interstices of the grid plate, and in order to wipe off the excess paste and give the paste a smooth finish, I

subject the grids after they have passed the paste applying nozzles, to the action of a series of pairs of finishing rolls 31, 32,

33 and 34. These rolls are mounted on vertical spindles 35 journalled in the bed 15 and having limited lateral shifting movement therein, that the successive pairs of rolls may be spaced at progressively diminishing distances apart. Frames 36 carried by the bed ofthe machine mount springs 37 individually adjustable by nuts 38. The tensioning springs serve to force the rolls of each pair toward each other to cause gripping of the grids as they pass through the series of rolls, and to cause the paste to be gradually forced into the grids during the progress of the grids .between the sets of finishing rolls.

` Arranged closely adjacent the groove 12 are a pair of compartments 40 for the rece tion of heating units 41 such as steam coils, or other heating devices. As the grids with the paste applied thereto, leave the last set of forming rolls, they are carried through the heating chamber defined by said compartments and dried so that by the time they reach the last pair of feeding rolls 42,

they will be discharged from the machine in substantially finished condition. -Either the length ot' the heating chamber, or the speed of passage of the grids therethrough, may be regulated in order to effect partial drying or complete drying ofthe paste on 'thegrids as may be desired.

s and operating the feed screws of'the 75 sprocket wheels 50, and the sprocket chain 51 is driven from a vertically .disposed drive shaft 52. 'Ihis shaft, as well as an e uivalent counter shaft 53 at theop osite sie of the machine carries a bevelle pinion 54 meshing with the pinion 21 of the feed screw 20.

Preferably the drive of theV machine is divided into two separate units, one sprocket. chain 51 driving one feed screw and all of the rollers on one side of the roove, and another sprocket chain operate vfrom the counter shaft 53 driving the other feed screw and all of the rollers on the other side of the machine. The sprocket chains in their course of passage over the successive sprocket Wheels 50 may be led over any suitable number of idler sprockets 60, and over tensioning sprockets 61 carried by the free ends of arms y62 acted on by springs 63 to tension the sprocket chains.

The action of the first pair of rolls serves to contact the paste and to bring excess moisture in the paste to the surface thereof, I may therefore find it desirable to use a pairoof moisture absorbent belts 75 running over the second pair of lnishing rolls for absbrbing the excess moisture which is brought to the surface of the aste at this time. These belts may either of canvas or of some heavy, highly absorbent paper material. They are run over idler sprockets gg and maintained under tension by springs It will be evident that the method or applying the paste which consists in first simultaneously applying a generous quantity to both sides of the grid plate while the plate is in upright position', and then successively removing the excess, packing the paste down and drying the paste, may be. carried out by other machines than that illustrated. l

It will also be evident that a great many changes and alterations kmight be made 'in the parts described without departing from the invention.

1. pparatus forappl 'ng paste to batte grids including a bed aldriig which the eluding a guide track for the grids, a pair 0f paste discharging nozzles on opposite sides of the track to force paste against opposite sides of the grids as the latter pass 5 between the nozzles, a series of pairs of adjustably spring-tensioned finishing rolls actlng successively on the grids after they have passed the nozzles to transfer them along the track, compact and smooth the paste and remove the excess. l

2. Apparatus as set forth in claim 1 and wherein canvas belts associated with one pair of finishing rolls actto absorb the moisture brought to the surface'of the paste by the compacting operation.

RAGNAR J. RIXDORFF. 

